


all the times you called me home (by saying my name.)

by serenitysea



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: 5 + 1 Things, F/M, and how they learn their way back to each other, fitz makes it better with movies and snacks, skye hates data duty, sometimes when you say my name it hurts and sometimes when you say my name it heals, there are also tears, this is the story of the specialist and his rookie, ward deals with his issues with trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 05:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2179041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenitysea/pseuds/serenitysea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or: five times they called each other's names (and the one time they didn't have to).</p><p>post-season one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	all the times you called me home (by saying my name.)

**Author's Note:**

> just wanted to make sure i could still write. it's not anything fancy. a small plot bunny that i wanted to explore. 
> 
> xo.

_i._

 

Coulson has been on her all day, checking security feeds and making sure the information being released is what they want it to be. Skye is _tired_. This is her third consecutive day on _data duty_ ; it's easily her least favorite thing to do and the sheer volume of information is staggering. This is a job for a three or four-man team — instead, she is just one girl, trying to sift through the BS, monitor the public reaction and create false leads for the ones that hit a little _too close_ to home.  
  
She sighs and gives into the urge to rest her head on her arm. She'll just close her eyes for a minute.  
  
"—ye. _Skye_."  
  
She wakes up to find Ward looking at her with a concern she hasn't seen in months.  
  
She is disoriented and more than a little groggy when she mumbles, "—'s happened?"  
  
He firms his mouth the way he always has when he openly disapproves of something but refuses to give voice to his concern. "How long have you been at this?"  
  
It takes a moment to perform the mental gymnastics required to give him the most accurate answer. "Off and on for the past 72 hours or so."  
  
He curses under his breath and her eyebrows lift in disbelief.  
  
"You need to rest." Ward looks at her laptop like he wants to throw it out of the nearest window and watch it plummet to the ground.  
  
"That's not really… your call." The sleep is starting to fade as she becomes all too conscious of their current situation. "I mean. Anymore."  
  
"Right." The bruised look in his eyes is gone before she can take it back and he's out the door by the time she has fumbled her way through an apology.  
  
Skye rubs a hand over her face and puts her head back down on the table. Maybe data duty was better than this.  
  
* * *  
  
 _ii._

  
Ward has been training for hours.  
  
Trip has long since come and gone; all easy charm and smiles. He wears his hurt in a different way and tries to ride out the worst of times to further appreciate the best. Ward admires that about the other Specialist, sees him as the other half of Garrett's influence like a photo negative. They stand next to each other, one in the dark and one bathed in light — both of them influenced by a man twisted and damaged.  
  
Ward appreciates that he never has to pretend anything around Trip. Trip just takes everything in calmly and isn't bothered by it. Trip never pushes him to train, and instead will let him make the first move. They don't always speak, sometimes finding fists and heels to be a far more effective method of communication.  
  
And somehow it still burns.  
  
It _burns_ that Trip was able to make a halfway decent life for himself. That he could bank on his family and _Grandad_ and his _Howling Commandos_ and all the things that make him a pedigreed agent. He never had to carve out a place for himself because he always knew what he would become.  
  
"Ward."  
  
He stops punching the heavybag furiously and stiffens. Seconds later, Skye's shampoo hits him and he has to grit his teeth to keep from reacting. She stirs up too many emotions inside him and this is not why he was brought aboard. He owes them more than that.  
  
"You should take a break." Her voice is raspy, thick with sleep and she is all but swallowed in another one of her large hoodies and leggings.  
  
"Not really your call anymore." He calmly replies, steeling himself against the hurt look as he throws the words back in her face.  
  
Skye doesn't respond, just keeps staring at him with something unreadable in her expression. It makes him uncomfortable and he has to fight the urge to fidget.  
  
Finally she sets down a water bottle that must have been hidden in her sleeve. The pointed look she gives him does not need an explanation as she quietly climbs back upstairs.  
  
* * *  
  
 _iii._

  
  
Fitz is watching some ridiculous animated movie when he passes through from the kitchen. There is a sandwich in his hand (which Fitz eyes hungrily) and the sound is turned up ridiculously loud and he gets sucked into it before he knows it. (Fitz somehow cons him into sharing half the sandwich and to make a run for chips while he's at it.)  
  
Despite the invitation from the engineer, Ward prefers to remain leaning against the wall to watch the cartoon instead of joining him on the couch.  
  
"Ward." He nearly drops the sandwich on the ground when Skye's hand lands on his shoulder.  
  
"Sorry," he apologizes, scrambling back up against the bulkhead as quickly as possible to allow her to shuffle through the narrow hallway.  
  
Skye bites her lip and slides her hand away softly. Just before she reaches Coulson's door, she turns back. "You should watch the movie." With her hand on the doorknob she adds, "Fitz likes popcorn best."  
  
She has slipped into the Director's office and closed the door behind her by the time Ward manages to pick his jaw up off the ground. When he turns around, Fitz is watching him with open curiosity.  
  
For lack of anything else to say, Ward stammers awkwardly, "I'll make popcorn."  
  
Fitz grins widely and cues up the next film.  
  
  
* * *  
  
 _iv._

  
  
May has been teaching her how to sharpen up her hand-to-hand with the efficient movements that have earned her the name Calvary. The older woman has been patient and thorough but there is something lacking in their interactions. She cannot accuse May of being a bad instructor (and rationally, she knows that there are different learning and teaching styles for everyone) but somehow it seems like the lessons don't have the same staying power as— well. _Before_.  
  
She sighs and repositions her feet, vowing to stay another ten minutes to make up for her short attention span. There has to be a way for this to sink in. She feels badly that May is taking the time to train her and she can't even keep her head in the game.    
  
"Skye."  
  
She whirls around and lashes out, landing a right cross to Ward's jaw. She recoils in shock and backpedals frantically. "Sorry! I didn't expect —"  
  
"— I shouldn't have come from your blind spot," Ward brushes away her concern, lifting a hand to his chin gingerly. It is already red and getting puffier by the second and Skye is across the room for an ice pack in a flash.  
  
"Here take this —" She flattens the compress into his hand, guiding it to his face.  
  
"— I'll be fine, I've handled worse," He automatically protests and then stops dead, closing his eyes in shame. They both remain frozen in place; Ward wishing he could take back his words and Skye with her hand on his jaw, twin feelings of horror and sadness creeping in.  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Skye finally says, not backing down from her claim and daring him to challenge her.  
  
Ward stares at her with suspiciously bright eyes. "I —"  
  
"It _wasn't,_ " she fiercely defends, stepping closer. It hurts and it feels like it's taking everything she has to wrap her arms around him. With bewilderment and stiff awkwardness, Ward hesitantly puts his arms around her too.  
  
They both pretend not to notice the growing dampness on the front of his shirt and neither mention the slight tremors that wrack her body even now and again.  
  
* * *  
  
 _v._

  
  
There are arms locked around her waist like steel and though she is fighting against them like a demon, they won't give.  
  
" _Skye_!"  
  
Ward's voice penetrates through the angry haze and she abruptly sags in defeat. He carefully lowers her to the ground (when had he lifted her in the first place?) and settles her on her feet. She instinctively grabs onto his arm when her knees buckle alarmingly and he frowns grimly.  
  
With infinite gentleness, he brushes away the tears she didn't realize were falling in the first place. "Hey." Ward leads her over to a bench and guides her to sit upon it. "We'll get them back. I promise."  
  
Her face crumples and she folds in on herself in grief. This time Ward does not pause; just smoothly pulls her into his arms and holds on tight.  
  
* * *  
  
o.  
  
It's late.  
  
Probably somewhere around three in the morning and the Bus is quiet. May is back at the helm and everyone is tucked in safely for the night. Skye isn't sure what roused her from sleep until she feels Ward climbing into the bunk carefully.  
  
She turns until she can sprawl easily across his body, fitting a leg comfortably between his. "Hey, you."  
  
Ward smiles faintly, running his hand up the length of her naked back and kisses her. "Hey yourself."  
  
Skye closes her eyes in contentment and lets the beat of his heart lull her to sleep.


End file.
